Dedicated to the Cargo Cults of Biology Science, Biotechnology and the Pharmaceutical Industry.
"So we really ought to look into theories that don't work, and science that isn't science"
Richard Feynman,
Cargo Cult Science,
From a Caltech commencement address given in 1974

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Sunday, September 11, 2016

Risk of Cheating Barometer

Cheating in all areas of life is something that will always exist. We frown upon cheating. We throw people in jail if they cheat others out of their hard earned money. It is in general a bad thing for someone to get something through trickery or fraud. The problem is that we all cheat to some degree. We try to pay as little taxes as possible. We beef up our resumes. We tell little white lies when the need arises. That is why we have skepticism. We need a homeland-security-esque risk of cheating threat level system.

If Hillary Clinton debates Donald Trump, the threat level for cheating should be high for both candidates. They will cheat by exaggerating their accomplishments and lying about their failures. If you like Hillary you might think that Trump is the only one cheating up there on the stage, and vice versa. If you are a fact checker for the debate you operate under a different belief. Your job is to check what they say and compare that to the facts. That is the most honest person in the mix.

If you are a scientist and your job is to create new drugs, you are operating at a high level risk of cheating. The FDA will serve as the fact checker. Your boss is a different story. Your boss is also under a high level risk of cheating. He or she may have a lot of pressure to get the latest antibody drug to show the kind of data the CEO can show the board at the next meeting. Does this mean you are going to cheat? No. But you might end up on a path that will lead to the termination of your project/job. What does an honest person do under these circumstances?

The last post I put on the blog was about race. Black vs white in America is a high risk of cheating topic. "Hands up don't shoot" was the mantra after the Mike Brown incident in Ferguson MO. It is highly probable that that was an inaccurate description of what took place. Facts not supporting the narrative include a discharged weapon prior to the final lethal shots and the strong armed robbery committed by Brown prior to the incident. At his funeral a friend stated the Mr. Brown was out spreading the word of God prior to his death. That narrative would indeed make everyone skeptical about the police departments conclusion that the officer who shot Mike Brown, Darren Wilson, was defending his life. Who needs to shoot and kill a person out spreading the word of God? The problem is that the facts of the gunshot and robbery have been verified. The preaching has not.

Race is a topic where our Risk of Cheating threat level will be high. Was Mike Brown feeling invincible the day he died or was he out saving souls? That information is not proof positive of anything. It is information that only supports a narrative.

Back to BS - biotech science.

Our narrative is simple. We apply basic research as avenues to treating and/or curing disease. Science is the most honest and pure way of thinking. We set aside our biases and stick only to the facts. Narratives involving our motivations (money, fame, altruism...) are not factors in our scientific method. Those who have chosen to question underlying threats to our honesty are not understanding how science works. That is the big picture narrative behind the benevolence of BS - biotech science. We make drugs to help people because we have dedicated our lives to serve our fellow humans. Just don't bring up the history of that narrative.

The stock dives after four deaths in a trial of 129 patients are reported. It goes from $40-something per share to $20-something. The stock creeps back up to around $30 per share. The CEO socks away a cool million in spite of the narrative pointing to a bright future. Threat level HIGH!

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My biotech career is merely a dream. In this dream we are all living on an Island where our ancestors once watched the westerners develop drugs that helped their people fight off disease and suffering. The westerners left and we are now donning their white lab coats and trying to create the drugs ourselves. We have their books, labs, beakers and a handful of drug targets they left behind. But nothing is working.